Contents

Tendering

The site of the services was chosen as it is 12 miles from the original planned services at Meon Valley. When it opened to bids in 1973, Trusthouse Forte were forbidden from taking part because they already ran the nearest service area at the time, which was Fleet. In an administrative error, Forte were accidentally sent the tendering papers, which they used to argue they should take part.

Forte did choose to take part, as did Roadchef, and two new firms: Blackburn & Son Ltd and Hanover Ltd. Roadchef made a typically ambitious bid.

It was one of three services which trialled only selling two brands of fuel, as the site was deemed "non-critical" when it was planned.

Westbound Opening

Whilst the westbound services were under construction, temporary portacabins were provided here. The opening documents were signed on 21 June 1976.

In the Prior Report of 1978, Rownhams was described as "an ocean liner waiting for the tide to come in". It stuck out from all services as a complete white elephant, although this was blamed on delays in completing the M3 and M27. Various documents from the time would refer to Rownhams as an exception, with one referring to it having "well-known, special problems".

Roadchef later raised concerns when the M3 was postponed indefinitely, in return they were offered a small amount of compensation.

The restaurant was open from 7am until 11pm. Fuel was sold by BP, Esso, Elf and Amoco. In 2013 the forecourts changed from being branded Esso to BP.

Building

The 'side' entrance to the westbound building.

The older of the two sides, Rownhams westbound opened a short while after the M27 and consists of a white building with several hexagonal points, brown tinted windows and bare brick indoors. It had one large restaurant rather than the conventional two or three. It is designed to be relatively well camouflaged, with the whole complex being lower than that of the motorway and the main entrance being unusually discreet for a service station.

Although this hasn't been taken as seriously over time, the success of the screening was compromised most in 2008 when the M27 was widened and the majority of the trees that separated it from the services were removed, creating a large tarmac area. Part of this achievement had already been compromised when the original planning inspectorate's dream of a rooftop garden were written off as being too expensive.

Eastbound traffic could access the site through a underpass, rather than a traditional bridge, which came out at the former coach entrance to the services, which is now very quiet. This could be some indication of what Hatfield would have looked like.

Despite planning permission suggesting otherwise, until 2012 the building hadn't been extended. One early 2000s plan would have added a curved aluminium roof to the building. A plaque inside marks the opening of a "RoadChef development" on 1 July 1985, but it's not clear what this is - it could even be the eastbound services.

Branding and Layout

The toilets were at the front (nearest the car park, one by each entrance), and the restaurant was at the back, which extends further than it looks. Within this, a coffee shop was introduced to the middle and then moved closer to the aisle.

The eastern end of the restaurant was syphoned off to become a Wimpy bar, then The Burger Company. The exact history here isn't clear as proposals have been put forward through the 2000s to add McDonald's, Wimpy, Costa and Dr Beak's Chicken to the fringes of the restaurant, and many of these didn't materialise, but it looks like one former seating area has now become a boardroom. In any case, by each entrance an extra shop was introduced - one was called Surf Shack and became a temporary Costa which is still there, albeit it closed, and the other was replaced in favour of this mysterious supplementary restaurant. During these changes, the extent of an atrium room that was within the restaurant was reduced.

A motel was built here in 1989, passing between RoadChef Lodge, Travel Inn, Premier Inn and then Days Inn, built next to the former coach park. Eastbound traffic was directed to the motel, using the westbound HGV parking, by a series of markings taking them through the rear access and over the bridge, although it is now difficult to follow.

For some years, a portacabin existed by the front of the services providing tourist information. A play area was added in 1993 and removed in 2011.

Developments

In Spring 2012 McDonald's was introduced to the services, taking the opportunity to reface the front of the building, creating a more prominent entrance and changing the layout of the interior to create a larger Costa area and smaller restaurant, with the lobby directing customers in to the restaurant area rather than the toilets.

Significant changes were made in 2017. The old rear entrance was blocked off and the toilets were moved here. Costa was moved to a new position underneath the atrium roof, bringing it back into use. A new entrance and foyer was built, directing people to a more spacious central area.

Eastbound Building

The more typical eastbound services.

The eastbound building has a more traditional late-'80s brick and glass building. The 10-year advantage it has over its westbound counterpart makes it look much better kept. It is actually higher up than its surroundings, but the darker colours mean it still blends in. It's much smaller than the other side, but this is almost a given seeing as it was built to relieve it.

The opening of the services was presumably delayed until the completion of the M27 past Hedge End, as this work was attributed to the initially disappointing trade on the westbound side.

As a result of the smaller restaurant area, no fast food service was initially provided, although The Burger Company's products were sold. This all changed when McDonald's opened in 2015.

Until it was built, all the car park took you to was a pathway through to the other side. This is still there, but rarely used.

In 2000 and again in 2006, there were plans to build a lodge in the gap by the car park, but this never happened. The road signs still suggest there is a lodge here, and previously people would have been able to visit the westbound lodge via the rear access, but the markings for this have faded and the official advice is now to turn around at the next junction (which cannot actually be done, but never mind).

Incidents

In November 2014 the eastbound service area was closed for four days after diesel was spilled across the exit sliproad.

Early on the morning of 14 November 2017 the refurbished entrance to the westbound services was severely damaged when two vehicles were deliberately driven in to it, in order to access and steal a cash machine. The amenity building, which had customers in it at the time, was closed for several hours to allow for investigations and an inspection of the structure.